NARRATOR：

Listen to a conversation between two students.

MALE STUDENT：

Hey Jane, did you finish your research paper for class?

FEMALE STUDENT：

Yeah, I printed it out this morning...

MALE STUDENT：

Why do you look so worried then?

FEMALE STUDENT：

Well, I was just in the cafeteria eating lunch and reading it over one last time,

when I spilled some soup on it and the class starts in fifteen minutes!

MALE STUDENT：

How bad is it?

FEMALE STUDENT：

It's not huge, but you can definitely see it, and several of the pages got wet.

MALE STUDENT：

What are you gonna do?

FEMALE STUDENT：

I could just go ahead and hand it in like this and explain to the professor what happened.

I mean, you can still read the paper -

and the pages should dry out a little by the time class begins,

but they'll still be sort of sticky and wrinkled.

MALE STUDENT：

Well, not all professors care that much about how the paper looks. At least it'd be in on time.

FEMALE STUDENT：

I know.... It's just that Professor Adams is kind of strict when it comes to handing in our research papers....

I mean the format he gave us for putting this paper together was really specific...

so the way it looks seems important.

MALE STUDENT：

Yeah. Well, how about going to the computer lab to print another copy?

FEMALE STUDENT：

I could.... Then I'd have a clean copy to hand in, and I wouldn't have to worry about how the paper looks.

MALE STUDENT：

You'd better hurry though because there's usually a line over there.

FEMALE STUDENT：

[sighing] I know.... And by the time I get there, wait in line for a computer, print the paper out, and come back to class, I'd be late for class,

and Professor Adams is strict about lateness too.

MALE STUDENT：

I see what you mean.